Ofsted on the college curriculum: AoC responds

In her speech at the Association of Colleges Annual Conference and Exhibition today, Ofsted Chief Inspector Amanda Spielman said that colleges must do more to help college students reach their potential. In response, Kirsti Lord, Deputy Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “One in three students leaves school with less than 5 GCSEs, so supporting people to achieve at level two is one of the most important things we as a country can do. For a strong economy and vibrant communities, it’s vital that everybody is given the opportunity to access high quality skills and training to get on in life. “It is right for the Chief Inspector to challenge colleges to ensure a strong level two offer - and colleges challenge themselves every day – but it is also time for government to act. “Colleges have experienced a decade of constant cuts and endless reforms, including a GCSE maths and English re-sits policy that does not address the root causes of issues or allow colleges to tailor their support so that they can help every student to achieve. “If government are serious about supporting people into study and into work then they need to invest in the institutions and people that can make that happen.”